What’s it about? Sooner or later, Yokoya Hitoyoshi’s messy, sleepy teenage life is interrupted when a girl in an old style maid costume exhibits up at his door and asks if he desires to rent her. It seems that her space of experience is homicide and never housekeeping, however after she saves Hitoyoshi from being hit by a truck, he invitations her to work for him regardless of her inexperience.
“Hardened assassin and/or profession felony finds himself in a house surroundings” is a type of basic comedy premises. The juxtaposition between the character’s violent trajectory and the peaceable sweetness of their mundane home existence is the straightforward but efficient core of collection like Away from the home husband, spy x household, and the various “cute members of organized crime syndicates doing cute issues” exhibits which have sprung up through the years. It may possibly get stale if overdone or poorly finished, however it’s not a nasty joke – to not point out the heartwarming ache/consolation it probably gives as these characters discover a new sense of self within the security of domesticity.
There’s additionally an fascinating gender dynamic at play right here, because the protagonists in these collection are extra usually males, which provides a subversion of expectations for comedic functions, but additionally provides these tales the chance to painting softer visions of masculinity. However – though much less widespread – contrasting the archetypes related to cute domesticity and violence in motion movies additionally gives the chance for feminine characters to be uncooked, brutal and slapstick humorous, as demonstrated within the implausible movie. Akiba Maid Conflict.
…see how I maintain mentioning different packages after I needs to be writing about them You’re madam servant? I promise that is all an essential setup. I all the time discover it useful to method a premiere by way of the lens of its style context, and the opposite tales and pop cultural tropes the premiere could also be in dialog with. Nevertheless, this has been a horrible mistake as a result of now I simply take into consideration all the opposite collection that play with comparable concepts however do it higher.
Madam servant has a premise that is dumb sufficient to qualify as a comedy, however this primary episode is fairly subdued and joke-free. Aside from a quick scene the place she cuts lettuce, it actually would not lean into the wacky motion that normally underlines all these exhibits, which makes all of it really feel unusual… nonetheless. Stagnant, I dare say. The central joke of the collection, I believe, is that The Maid tries to work as a housekeeper, however is not excellent at it, as she’s extra used to slitting throats than mopping flooring, however it actually does the job not the slapstick. potential. Perhaps it is a matter of animation assets.
The central joke undoubtedly does that too not give us one of many playful subversions of gender expectations I discussed above. The joke is that this girl is clumsy and so dangerous at housekeeping that she wants assist from a hapless teenage boy, and the emotional arc constructed on this premiere is about discovering her humanity by way of family chores as a mix of mom and love curiosity. for the aforementioned boy. She’s a chilly, exhausting killer, however Hitoyoshi provides her heat and fuzzy emotions; she’s extremely expert at her previous job, however now she consistently wants him to save lots of her. That is introduced as enjoyable, heartwarming and good character improvement. I perceive the juxtaposition they are going for with this, however it’s principally simply condescending and slides exhausting into conventional gender roles as a substitute of doing something fascinating.
Self-righteous is definitely phrase for this characterization. Hitoyoshi agrees to rent The Maid as a housekeeper, primarily as a result of he feels sorry for her, and is usually patronizing for the rest of the episode. In a single scene he helps her dry her hair (which is moist, as a result of oops! She slipped and a bucket of water splashed on her head! Loopy Billy!) and says “let’s clear up collectively” within the tone you’d can use to consolation a younger little one. Judging from the close-up of The Maid’s rosy cheeks and wiggly eyes, we are able to perceive that she is deeply moved by this kindness.
You will discover I will simply maintain calling her The Maid. That is as a result of she says she actually has no identify and easily goes by the identify her employers give her. On this case, Hitoyoshi makes a clumsy joke about the truth that she is not excellent at developing with names and decides that any longer she shall be ‘Ms. Servant.” The Maid says: “Wow… I have been a numb shell all my life and by no means cared what I used to be referred to as earlier than… however for some cause this feels actually good now… .my shriveled assassin’s coronary heart goes doki-doki…” That is the gist of their interactions all through the episode.
We’re handled to some transient sequences in The Maid’s foremost house, so I’ve a obscure hope that because the story progresses she’ll acquire extra interiority and depth, and that the story will do one thing totally different together with her blood-soaked backstory than the utilizing it as warm-and-fuzzy fodder when she will get the prospect to be a ‘regular girl’ by serving to a male character, or having him assist her. There is likely to be one thing to it: I do not need to low cost a personality arc wherein an individual who has clearly been violently dehumanized is given the chance to (re)uncover the female aspect she was denied, and finds achievement in nurturing of one other human being. than to be pressured to hurt them.
I am simply not assured that that is it Madam servant do. It appears way more involved with making The Maid cute and having her be the final word girl for the teenage male function. There’s actually a scene the place she imitates his mom and provides to let him relaxation his head on her lap, however the digicam cuts to a POV shot of her heaving bosom to make this a sexually charged (or at the least fanservicey) second. So she is his mom and his housekeeper, and can shield him together with her life, however that is what she is soooo clumsy and soooo sizzling and she or he simply wants him to deal with her. It is cliché right down to the final element, with out another compelling story parts to distract you. Excuse me whereas I gentle the fireplace Akiba Maid Conflict simply to really feel one thing.
